The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-01-04

Views of Prominent Grower on the
Methods of the Exchange-Why He
Does Not Ship Through the Ex-
change-GoOdA Advice to Growers.
GEoRGETOwN, FLA, Dec. 81. SO.
Editor Palatka NEWS:
The discussion in your columns of
the important question to those Of us
who have our all invested in the orange
business, How best to Market Our Or
ange Crop" is not only of timely interest
but doubt not will prove beneficial. /
have been frequently asked the ques-
"Do you ship to the Exchange?" and re-
plying in the negative, requested to give
my reasons; summed up they are: That
the Fruit Exchange offers me no advan-
tages or inducements to place my crop
at their disposal. But let me say before
proceeding further, that to Messrs. Fair
banks, Greenleaf and their associates,
who have done SO much and are still
striving to solve the problem how to Sc
cure better prices for our orange crop,
all orange growers are greatly indebted.
/ recognize their disinterestedness and
fully appreciate their motives, and real
ize the amount of labor they have ex-
pended in endeavoring to secure for the
orange grower better prices for his crop.
l am only sorry the Exchange has not
attained, by offering such patent advan-
tages and Inducements, all the success
they have labored so earnestly to attain.
Now what are the advantages the Elk
change claims and the inducements it
holds out to shippers to leave merchants
they have proved trustworthy, and mar
kets in which their brands have been
known and bought for years, and place
their fruit at the disposal of the Ex-
change to be consigned by them to COM
mission men?
/. The Exchange charges ten per cent.
commission on sales. In one city only,
and that covers insurance and storage,
if / need it for months, do | pay so high
a rate.
,. The Exchange offers no induce
ment in freight rates. To Western
points they lay- emphasis on the claim
that small lots go through at car load
rates. In this they are only following
in the footsteps of Western commission
men, who have for years combined small
shipments into car lots, and heated and
cared for the fruit in transit, at car
rates.
3. The Exchange guarantees sales. l
never lose any thing by shipping to ire
sponsible parties. / have facilities equal
to the Exchange in finding out the stand
ing of any firm to whom i contemplate
shipping.
4. The Exchange collects shortage and
overcharges. At the close of each sea-
son, the claim agent of the S. F. & W..
Railway, F. ID. L., the line l ship by,
promptly pays me all claims on receipt
of vouchers.
5. The Exchange claims to keep an eye
on all the markets, fruit in transit, and
prevent ruInous gluts. l say advisedly,
claims, for the fact is that Eastern mar
kets have been glutLed by Exchange
fruit more than once. If the Exchange
kept as well posted as it processes to do,
as to the state of the markets and ship
ments en- route to them, how is it we
find Exchange consignments not only in
glutted markets, but drriring in them:
Either the Exchange manager knows no
more than the average shipper. or he
makes very poor Use of his knowledge.
attended the auction sale of cargoee
| of oranges and lemons in Boston and
| New York last year, and fully satisfied
myself that it was to my interest to keep
my crop out of the auction room and
from the hands of the brokers in those
/ cities. The fact is the Exchange 10 work
1 ing In the OLD UNANIMOUSLY concerned
| way, while at the same time ii bears earn
est testimony along with all growers and
shippers of experience, that consigning
our fruit to commission men is lad pol
icy, and must ultimately prove disas.
trous in results, and it goes on consign-
ing.
To prove beneficial to the fruit grow
ers and achieve what its promoters are
striving for, am convinced it will have
to make a radical change in its policy.
Instead of aiming to be a mere interme-
diary agent between the grower and COM
mission merchant, it must devise a plan
whereby it can receive from the grower
and sell direct to the dealer here at home.
Why cannot the Exchange sell our fruit,
say for two and a-half per cent. here at
different points in the State. II, instead
Of mourning expense by sending men to
different cities to establish agencies, il
would advertise throughout the country
that auction sales of oranges would be
made every day, say from November l